Discussion Paperhttp://hdl.handle.net/10523/4302015-08-02T20:24:01Z2015-08-02T20:24:01ZUnderstanding the Etiology of Electoral Violence: The Case of ZimbabweFielding, Davidhttp://hdl.handle.net/10523/56942015-06-02T14:02:22Z2015-06-02T04:33:19ZUnderstanding the Etiology of Electoral Violence: The Case of Zimbabwe
2015-06
Fielding, David
Recent theoretical and empirical work indicates that incumbent governments are likely to attempt to influence election outcomes by violent means (rather than by bribery and fraud) when their level of popular support is relatively low. However, evidence also suggests that in some countries electoral violence can be quite easy to thwart through peaceful means. This may seem surprising when the incumbent has control over an extensive and well-equipped state security apparatus. The analysis of Zimbabwean data in this paper suggests an explanation: the incumbent prefers to avoid the direct involvement of the state security apparatus when intimidating voters (perhaps because such involvement would undermine the incumbent’s legitimacy abroad), and relies instead on informal groups with very limited organizational capacity. One consequence in Zimbabwe is that the intimidation is heavily focused in places where the incumbent is relatively popular, ceteris paribus.
2015-06-02T04:33:19ZDoes Charity Begin at Home or Overseas?Knowles, StephenSullivan, Trudyhttp://hdl.handle.net/10523/56932015-06-02T14:02:25Z2015-06-02T04:29:12ZDoes Charity Begin at Home or Overseas?
2015-06
Knowles, Stephen; Sullivan, Trudy
We conduct a field experiment to analyse whether a representative sample of the population has a preference for giving money to an international development charity or to a charity helping families in need in the home country. The majority of participants reveal a preference for giving to the local charity, rather than the international development charity. Participants were given the option of commenting on why they chose the charity they did, and we conduct a qualitative analysis of these responses. We also analyse quantitatively whether participants’ individual characteristics are correlated with the choice of charity.
2015-06-02T04:29:12ZCopyright Payments in Eighteenth-Century Britain, 1701–1800Fielding, DavidRogers, Shefhttp://hdl.handle.net/10523/56922015-06-02T14:02:17Z2015-06-02T04:22:08ZCopyright Payments in Eighteenth-Century Britain, 1701–1800
2015-06
Fielding, David; Rogers, Shef
2015-06-02T04:22:08ZIs New Zealand's economy vulnerable to world oil market shocks?Jaforullah, MohammadKing, Alanhttp://hdl.handle.net/10523/56152015-04-14T02:35:31Z2015-04-08T01:14:15ZIs New Zealand's economy vulnerable to world oil market shocks?
2015-04
Jaforullah, Mohammad; King, Alan
We assess New Zealand’s vulnerability to oil shocks by estimating its price and income elasticities of demand for imported oil and by testing for Granger causality between oil imports, their price and GDP. Based on data for the period 1987Q2–2012Q4, we find the short-run price and income elasticities to be statistically insignificant. However, the long-run price and income elasticity estimates are significant and equal to −0.34 and 1.61, respectively. We also find that oil imports, and to some extent oil prices, Granger-cause real GDP, indicating that the New Zealand economy is vulnerable to shocks in the world oil market.
2015-04-08T01:14:15ZInternational tourism and economic growth in New ZealandJaforullah, Mohammadhttp://hdl.handle.net/10523/56032015-04-28T09:47:20Z2015-04-01T01:20:50ZInternational tourism and economic growth in New Zealand
2015-04
Jaforullah, Mohammad
This paper examines whether the tourism-led growth hypothesis holds for the New Zealand economy. Using unit root tests, cointegration tests and vector error correction models, and annual data over the period 1972-2012 on international tourism expenditure, real gross domestic product (GDP) and the exchange rate for New Zealand, it finds that the tourism-led growth hypothesis holds for New Zealand. The long-run elasticity of real GDP with respect to international tourism expenditure is estimated to be 0.4, meaning that a 1% growth in tourism will result in a 0.4% growth of the NZ economy. This finding implies that the New Zealand Government’s policy to promote New Zealand as a preferred tourism destination in the key international tourism markets may boost economic growth.
2015-04-01T01:20:50ZSuper Salmon: The Industrialisation of Fish Farming and the Drive Towards GM Technologies in Salmon ProductionCampbell, HughMcLeod, CarmenGrice, JanetHerleth, Teresahttp://hdl.handle.net/10523/55282015-04-28T09:45:51Z2015-03-13T03:37:42ZSuper Salmon: The Industrialisation of Fish Farming and the Drive Towards GM Technologies in Salmon Production
2006
Campbell, Hugh; McLeod, Carmen; Grice, Janet; Herleth, Teresa
This discussion paper argues that there are many complex issues that need to be considered in relation to the intensive farming of salmon in general, and GM salmon, in particular. This paper highlights that animal biotechnology has thus far been dominated by experiments to produce
pharmaceutical products, and therefore the production of GM salmon for food presents a radical departure from other animal biotechnologies.
2015-03-13T03:37:42ZDeadlines, Procrastination, and Inattention in Charitable Giving: A Field ExperimentKnowles, StephenServátka, MarošSullivan, Trudyhttp://hdl.handle.net/10523/55192015-04-16T21:52:53Z2015-03-12T00:46:41ZDeadlines, Procrastination, and Inattention in Charitable Giving: A Field Experiment
2015-03
Knowles, Stephen; Servátka, Maroš; Sullivan, Trudy
We conduct a field experiment to analyze the effect of deadline length on charitable giving. Subjects are invited to complete an online survey, with a donation going to charity if they do so. Participants are given either one week, one month or no deadline by which to respond. Donations are lower for the one month deadline, than for the other two treatments, consistent with the model of inattention developed in Taubinsky (2014) and also with the idea that not specifying a deadline conveys urgency.
2015-03-12T00:46:41ZMonopoly Power in the Eighteenth Century British Book TradeFielding, DavidRogers, Shefhttp://hdl.handle.net/10523/53952015-04-16T22:08:21Z2014-12-15T02:10:18ZMonopoly Power in the Eighteenth Century British Book Trade
2014-12
Fielding, David; Rogers, Shef
In conventional wisdom, the reform of British copyright law during the eighteenth century brought an end to the monopoly on the sale of books held by the Stationers’ Company, and the resulting competition was one of the driving forces behind the expansion of British book production during the Enlightenment. In this paper, we analyze a new dataset on eighteenth century book prices and author payments, showing that the legal reform brought about only a temporary increase in competition. The data suggest that by the end of the century, informal collusion between publishers had replaced the legal monopoly powers in place at the beginning of the century. The monopoly power of retailers is not so easily undermined.
2014-12-15T02:10:18Z